With everyone stuck at home over the past year, unable to travel, the thought of an adventure brings a smile to our faces. Different from a Staycation because that is what we have been doing for the last year. Now we are all in need of a vacation from staying at home.
Why not a socially distant trip to a location that is nearby, and accessible by car? Keeping to ourselves and getting out to experience some local scenery and history. A place that we have long wanted to know more about. – That somewhere for me is Harford County, Maryland. Located on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay and just along I95 and historic Rte. 1. This made a close-by get-a-way that had good food, lodging, and interesting history to learn more about.
As a child, I often heard the stories from my Mother, as we drove down Route 1 and across the Conowingo Dam. She would recount how she as a child walked across the Dam on the opening day in 1928 holding the hands of her two uncles. Now that I am doing family research, a visit to this historic place was something that I wanted to do to learn more about this bit of Maryland history.
We speed up and down I-95 by car or on a train via Amtrak traveling along the Northeast Corridor, crossing the Susquehanna and we miss the beauty of this rural and historic part of Maryland known as Harford County, a county that stretches from the Mason Dixon line to the Chesapeake Bay and from the Susquehanna River south to the outskirts of Baltimore.
GMC reached out to me to review the new 2021 Yukon Denali for a few days, thus the opportunity for this adventure came together. Driving around a scenic area, checking out its history, in a great car that I need to photograph and write about. Win-Win in my book.
After consulting with the Harford County Convention and Visitor Bureau inquiring about picturesque local spots to photograph the car, they offered me the opportunity to spend the night at a brand new Fairfield Inn and Suites in Aberdeen Maryland, just off I95 and Route 22 in Aberdeen Maryland.
First Stop – Aberdeen
Aberdeen Maryland is a Military town with the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, an expansive Army base. Yes there is a big military airport, and I always thought it was an Air Force base. Then I remembered that the US Air Force grew out of the Army Air Corps back in the day.
Since Aberdeen was where our hotel is located, it made sense to explore the surrounding area, from Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, a sports entertainment park that was built in the last ten years. And then visiting the historic train station in town.
Aberdeen’s Historic Train Station
If you are like I am, the sound of a train horn and rattle of the wheels on the rails is always something I want to know more about. That leads us to the Aberdeen Train Station.
So we took some time to wander around the historic Aberdeen rail station, one that dates back til, and serves multiple MARC and AMTRAK trains that travel between Wilmington Delaware, and Baltimore Maryland each day.
Before my other half retired, he had worked on a Master Plan for Aberdeen’s Amtrak Station, as part of a review of their Northeast Corridor stations. The recommendations had not been acted on, but it was interesting to talk about how the plan was done less than a decade earlier and to reflect on how the current pandemic situation has and will affect public transportation, especially as we experienced a nearly empty train station at what would have been a weekday rush hour in January of 2021. This is something we talk about in the YouTube video on this trip, posted at the top of this post.
Havere De Grace
Quite the little metropolis on the water. Just a few miles up Rte. 40 North of Aberdeen is this picturesque town. It is much bigger than I thought from seeing it from the train while passing overhead. And yes when a train comes across the bridge, you know it. Being late January, most shops and attractions were closed, but you can tell in season this is a bustling little town, with antique shops, places to eat, and some nice Victorian homes and gardens to look at as you stroll the streets.
Aberdeen appears as more than just a tourist town, more than just a fishing village, it seems to have a live its own with a hospital and other things that one equates with a larger community.
While we were invited to stay at a quaint B&B in town. One of several that looked perfect for a romantic weekend. I can see wedding parties coming to town to celebrate, or a business group, reunion, or family would want to spend time here as it looks so nice. When we drove around, I know that this is a quaint town I want to return to.
Where Did We Stay
Our home for two nights would be the brand new Fairfield Inn and Suites, Aberdeen. This Marriott property is located just south of 95 at the Rte. 22 exit and is on the other side of the highway from the baseball facility, Ripken Stadium also known as Leidos Field. The Fairfield by Marriott opened at the beginning of 2021, and it’s classic Marriott. With all the amenities that Marriott puts in Fairfield properties. An indoor pool and workout room, a large lobby where in normal times breakfast would be served. During quarantine, I experienced a different routine; a coffee station and the attendants at the front desk provide guests with a muffin, a juice cup, a snack bar, and a few other simple items. The days of an open buffet breakfast service have ceased to exist. Of course, there is a convenience store corner that offers many items for sale, that you might need, from ice cream to aspirin.
As a frequent traveler with many hotels, I have found that booking directly through the hotel’s website or calling the hotel directly is the best way to get the best rate on a better room, get an upgrade if they are available and recognized as a frequent traveler. This is what I did in this case, being a Bonvoy Member with Marriott.
This Fairfield Inn and Suites is located behind a large Home Depot shopping center, a senior living community, and in front of a residential community that borders on I-95. The location is excellent as it is easy on and off the highway, with plenty of shops and restaurants, chain ones, as well as delightful local establishments right there.
Day Two
The plan for the day was to roam the backroads up and around the Conowingo Dam.. We dallied in our large extended double suite at the Fairfield and then took time to check out the baseball stadium complex across 95, which has been a boon to this part of Harford County, bringing minor league baseball, and it appears lots of youth baseball as well as other events to the area. The large parking lot is often hosting events like local autocross groups and others.
Two hotels are right there, the Courtyard and the Residence Inn, as well as a townhome community. And to our surprise, BGE has located about nine Electric Vehicle Chargers at the Northend of the lot. Something that travelers up and down I95 should be aware of if they are in need of a charge for their EV’s. As it has both Chadimo and CMS chargers that will recharge pretty much every electric vehicle on the road today.
History On Display
Our plans were to visit a few of the locations on the Harford Barn Quilt Tour. While we only made it to one barn and quilt , I know we will head back in warmer weather and check out others.
That is just one of the many things to see and do around the county. We just blazed our own trail and saw rolling farmland, heavily wooded areas like Rocks State Park. Historic places like the Carter Archer house a surprise find along the Susquehanna river providing a glimpse of what life was like in the days before cars and hydroelectric power plants, and nearby this hydro-powered mill.
Food Was Great
Now don’t think for a minute that we went hungry on our tour of Harford County, we found two delightful and very different locally-owned restaurants to dine in. Yes, we Dined In, during these days of social distancing. Both restaurants were well set up for that, blocking off tables between parties. Our first was Water Street Seafood in Havre de Grace Maryland, a new seafood place on the waterfront. Sorry I enjoyed the fresh home-made crab cake before I could photograph it. Also, not pictured is the bacon-wrapped scallops another home run, and were quickly devoured. On the second night, the delightful staff at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Aberdeen recommended Mamie’s Café with Love, a place we would never have found on our own. so you can take the extras home for another meal. The food was good, the restaurant is decorated with classic Maryland kitsch, is like going to your Aunt’s house. Lots of tchotchkes around for the décor, and portions that were more than enough to take home and make a second meal out of. Hint do like we did and dine there on your last night in tow. Happy we chose this for the last night of our visit, as we had great leftovers when we returned home. Both places were reasonably priced for the high quality of food they served.
Why Visit Harford County Maryland
What got me all charged up to visit Harford County, beyond the family history part, was a recent episode on Maryland Public Television, PBS, about the Harford County Barn Quilt Trail. This is an app-based passport where you do selfies with the 22 quilt squares painted on barns all around the county. The more you post and check in on the app, the more opportunity you have to win prizes.
Overall Impressions
When you are looking for a day trip or overnight or two get-a-way, give Harford County a try. There are plenty of things to do, plenty of places to eat, and any number of places to stay overnight. We want to thank the Harford Country Convention and Visitors Bureau for hosting us at the Fairfield Inn and Suites, and General Motors Corporation for providing us a brand new 2021 GMC Yukon Denali for the visit.
Talk about what a get-a-way is supposed to be about. Exploring country roads and finding interesting sites to visit and enjoying the views. That is what we found on this two-day get-a-away
Words and Images by William West Hopper
Mr. Hopper was raised in Pennsylvania in a variety of historic homes his Mother fixed up and “flipped” back in the 1960s. This has given him an appreciation for what has gone on before and how it impacts today and the future.
He lives in Washington DC with his life-partner and three rescue cats. You can find him on Twitter @wwhopper, Instagram @DCCarGuy, and on YouTube @The Real DCCarGuy.
